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I want to start this by saying that I am normally terrible at reading series. I will start a million series, and never pick up the next ones to find out what happens. And I almost just signed up to read and review the first book in this series. But boy am I glad I got all four that were out! I loved the ride this series took me on. And I would highly recommend this series.

Without telling anything away about previous books, in case you haven’t read them…which you definitely should! I want to give a few generalizations (which I have touched on in previous reviews but that’s okay). First of all I loved the characters in this series. Lance Erlick really knows how to take a character and make them the best/worst. In each case in this series, I felt like the characters were portrayed perfectly how they are meant to be. Regina is a kick-ass, smart, awesome female. And the people after her are perfectly bad. I don’t know how to explain it, but this is one of those series that when characters pop up, I’m not inwardly groaning that it was a paper cut out scene. They all have depth. And especially in a dystopian, I don’t see a whole lot with entire casts. So A+ there!! And also the world building. It was this great idea in the first book and the author ran with it and gave it background and meaning. And really made the story his own. I loved it. I think that is what makes this series so readable is that you get invested in the world and the characters. So there is so much more at stake while reading.

This particular book has Regina hoping to barter for her sister. Volpe and Demarco are after her. So much happens, and I am left needing more. I can’t even fathom waiting for the next book to be released, because this one was just released this year!! As of right now, I don’t see anything on Goodreads to indicate another book, but I hope there is! I love this series. And will definitely be re-reading them in hopes/preparation for following releases. I also will be putting Lance Erlick on my author to watch out for more books list because I feel that anything he writes will be fleshed out and wonderful!!!!

An adventurous and action packed novel for teens, Lance Erlick has written a captivating and thrilling dystopian series, beginning with book one in the Regina Shen Series, Resilience. This story is about a young girl, Regina, which must survive in a cruel and harsh world. She lives as a scavenger in a swamp with her mother and younger sister and attends a little local community school. But when a ginormous hurricane-like storm hits, and everyone must flee for dry ground, Regina is separated from her family. Regina must learn to fend for herself and avoid the patrol-women that are now hunting her in order to survive. While fleeing the patrol-women that seem to be particularly interested in her for some reason, Regina wounds her foot when it gets stuck in an animal trap. This throws a kink in Regina’s escape and look for her family plan, but not for long. I would recommend this novel to any teen who enjoys actioned filled science fiction, dystopian novels.

In the not too distant future, a 2nd civil war breaks out in the United States. Instead of a war between social classes or races, it is ultimately a war between the genders. Thanks to having access to technology, the women eventually win and they set about to genetically engineer and exterminate men out of existence. Such is the backdrop of the 2nd book in the REBELS trilogy by Lance Erlick.

The heroine of the series is a teenager named Annabelle Scott. Annabelle would do anything to live the life of a “normal” teenager, but she finds herself thrust into a conflict between different factions in the sector ruled by women. Along the way, she befriends a an escaped boy named Morgan who wants to flee with his brother outside the territory that is under feminine control. Outside of this new “civilization” built by women is the lawless countryside, known as the Outland. That’s where he wants to go.

During WWII, Oak Ridge, TN was where they physically built the 2 atomic bombs that were dropped on Japan (+ the atomic bomb that was tested over the desert). In the story, the facility has been converted into a detention center for young boys. Some end up being tortured and are the subject of sadistic medical experiments.

As such, there are subtle allusions to Aushwitz. Ironically, a facility in Tennessee that was built during the Manhattan Project to bring an end to Nazi opression (the war in Europe ended before they could drop the bomb on Berlin) is converted into the very means of injustice that it was built to stop. Interesting.

If you enjoy dystopia tales such as the The Hunger Games and Divergent, then chances are you will enjoy this trilogy. One thing is for certain: you will find yourself rooting for Annabelle and her sister Janine, the “good girls” who are trying to restore sanity to civilization!

This is the first book in this series, which must be read in order. Regina Shen is an outcast. Forced by the World Federation, Regina must live on the seaward side of the barrier walls meant to hold back seas that area rising due to climate change. Some many things happen to Regina. A major hurricane (a category 5) almost destroys what Regina has left in the world

As all this is happening there is a decline in the population and Joanne Demarco thinks that Regina is the key. Regina is on the run to stay alive and avoid being capture.
This book is written as if Regina is telling the story (so it is written in first person). It does go to Demarco side of the story and when it does it becomes third person. This book would be included in the genre where the government has taken over promising everything will be better but in reality they are causing nothing but harm. Each morning Regina and her classmates have World Federation (as it is called) regulations before their day at school begins, including praying to Mary and reciting what they call the twelve commandments.

This was a very good book. It was exciting and full of adventure. It has great themes like taking care of family. Regina mentions early in the book she could not die. She has to survive in order to protect her sister Collene. This book was one that once I picked up I could not stop reading. The author has great writing skills. His writing is on the same caliber as some of the top writers in this genre. The reader could connect with the characters.

One thing I need to point out in the book is that in the beginning that it states there are not males. Scientists have figured out a way to take skin from one woman to another and a child is born. Even though this is one way the government has figured out a way to control more people, it does cover a touchy topic for many people. Yes this book is a work of fiction but this did bother me and I want to let others to be aware of it. Also I should point out that the government officials are called GODs which stands for Grand Old Dames. The book mentions how the people (well women) were only allowed to pray to them. They really did see themselves as gods.
There is also some foul language in this book. It uses words like d*. It uses some others as well.

Over all this is a wonderful book that I highly recommend. This book is one I personally could not put down. This book really is a treasure that anyone who likes this genre (YA, science fiction, post-apocalyptic and so forth) should not miss. This book is 4.5 out of 5. I cannot wait to read the other books in this series. This is such a wonderful book.

I received this book from iRead Book tours in exchange for an honest review.

At some point in the future, the United States has a 2nd civil war. Instead of being between north & south, this time it’s man vs. woman. Ultimately, it ends in an uneasy truce; sort of like the end of the Korean war. As such, there are still minor scrimmages & incursions over the borderlands that divide the genders.

The women of this dystopia somewhat resemble the Amazon women from Greek mythology. Like the Amazons, they are trained for combat have a tendency to really, REALLY dislike men. According to legend, the Amazons would have their childbearing aged women couple with men from a neighboring tribe once a yr. The female babies would be kept, while the male babies would be returned to the men’s tribe to be raised. As for future women, they have cut men out of the equation of reproduction altogether. Women are artificially inseminated, and the male DNA chromosomes have been omitted to preclude the chance of more male babies being produced. This is done, of course, with the efficacy of ultimately bringing the male homo sapiens to extinction.

In order to compensate for having less physical strength than their male counterparts, the women have relied on their guile to built mechanical contraptions that give the user superhuman strength & agility as well as an array of rather nasty weapons to engage male soldiers on the battlefield. They are also much more adept at fighting as a team than the male soldiers whom they square off against.

Such is the backdrop of the current tale. 2 characters living in this future (George & Annabelle) have a chance meeting and both are discontent with the status quo. As was the case in the Middle Ages, the alliance of church & state makes political considerations ever more convoluted ~ nevermind the fact that the genders no longer “play nice.” Indeed, this is a grim depiction of 2 societies that barely function in the broadest sense of the term. Geo & Anna can see that the current path is a dead end for society, but can they do anything to alter the societal path?

This book is recommended for people who enjoy science fiction novels and visions of a dystopian future. More specifically, the target audience would be readers who appreciate a sci fi tale that is set in the not-too-distant future. This is not a book about space travel or jaw-dropping technology. Rather, it centers on the consequences of what happens when men & women fail to “get along.”

I was provided with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is part of the Rebel series. I had not read the prequels to this book and hence was apprehensive about being able to follow the story and the characters. But The Rebel Trap proved to be a lovely read, and there is more than enough foundation information to get readers acquainted with the set-up.

The story revolves around 16-year-old Annabelle Scott, who is caught a completely dystopian world – one where the world is ruled by a kind of a military regime. In fact, this is a world where the men have been rendered obsolete and the remnant boys are caurdoned off from where the girls live. Annabelle needs to carry out commands and orders from her military commander, much to her chagrin, as do the other girls. Things take a turn when Morgan, whom Annabelle has feelings for, manages to disrupt her auditory signalling device and communicates with her, to explain his situation. Annabelle has a choice of now being obedient and following the orders of her world, or help Morgan. What she choose, is what the book talks about.

The pace of the book is an absolute plus – with no point where it slackens, the tale moves briskly and smoothly, completely keeping the readers’ attention engaged. The internal turmoil in Annabelle is portrayed well – she is torn between doing what is right, and doing what she has been assigned to. Although it’s targeted at young adults, the book is thought-provoking, making one think about where humanity is really headed – where does one begin to wage a gory war with ethics? I would highly recommend this book to lovers of young-adult fantasies and dystopian stories.

I received a copy of The Rebel Within by Lance Erlick in return for an honest review. I recommend the story, particularly for YA readers the action takes place in a dystopian world in which the protagonist Annabelle struggles to come to terms with a regime that actively discriminates against men to the extent that boys are kept under strict lock and key at home or imprisoned, and trained to fight to their deaths.

Annabelle dreams of escape but most importantly she is driven to protect her younger sister within the regime. Annabelle has an empathy for the males who live in her world and the story evolves as she tries to defy authority and to help some to escape. The Rebel Within refers to Annabelle’s drive to follow her own moral code (much like her parents who suffered for their actions, so that now she lives with a polyamorous adoptive family). The plot is action-packed centred around Annabelle’s training to become a “mech” warrior which she doubts she will survive. The angst that Annabelle experiences in learning to be true to herself and her heart is a compelling coming of age drama.

The book is written in the first person which I tend to dislike however the twisting plot was part adventure, part love story, part suspense and Annabelle’s experiences and dilemmas were interesting enough so that her narration was only a mild irritation in an otherwise enjoyable and thought provoking dystopian tale.

This was a great book. Regina seems to have the odds stacked against her. Thankfully she has the chance to get a bit of education. Mo Mere also teaches her about what the world was like before the GODs. But the most important thing to her is her family. When her mother abandons her to the storm it really bothers Regina. When her sister is taken, Regina goes after her and plans to rescue her. But this is not an easy path since there is danger at every step. But she doesn’t let that stop her. Although it does get her into trouble a couple times rushing in without looking around.

This is a great start to the series. The setting was perfect, I could just see people trying to survive in swamps after being dumped out of the countries walls. I admit that Regina pining over her mother did get a little irritating since her mother has clearly been gone more and more lately. I do have to remind myself that she is a young girl and this is the ultimate betrayal.

I do like the story and am eager to read Vigilance to see if she does rescue her sister.

DeMarco and Volpe are still fighting to get their hands on Regina and the government is still trying to figure out who is going to be the next World Premier. But things are going to get tough when Regina’s mother makes another appearance and Regina has to make some tough decisions.

Regina is still holding out hope to rescue Colleen. She still hopes that finding this vault could be enough to save Colleen. But Ester and Regina are trying to find a hidden vault in the middle of a huge desert and if they do find it all they can do is hope that it has survived time. The real question is if she does find the vault would the government accept it.

I love this series and have heard this is the last book. I hope not since somethings were left open and I hope to see how they are finished. I am very proud of Regina, she has grown into a strong woman that is needed to survive in this world. This is a great series and one that I strongly recommend for those that like the post-apocalyptic/dystopian books.

I once saw a film where women had taken over the world and men were used as fodder, for many things. This book makes that film look ridiculous. It takes dystopian, women-based worlds to a new level.

After the first book ended with one of our major characters winning in the arena, but shunning the thought of killing a man, Morgan, we find ourselves thrust into book two, with so much excitement and emotion sweltering to the surface.

We watch as a selection of females show us what the ‘peace’ in this female-driven world is really like. Secret upon secret, slathered in a sauce of secrets seems to be what these girls eat. Everywhere we turn, people are watched, monitored and keep in order. Everyone has their own agenda, which has often been set in place by someone above them benefiting from the success or failure of their agenda. Even thoughts are sacred, as we see Morgan (and a few others) hack into the minds of our readers.

With nothing private and everything at stake, we follow along as this supposedly peaceful, oestrogen driven world starts to crumble. From love to hate, and every emotion in between, we find ourselves choosing sides, as readers, and often wondering if we are following the right side.

I found myself drawn to the pages, often fighting for the side I thought best, chapter after chapter. I loved every minute of this read. IT was written very well, provided a great deal of action (though not all the action was physical, as most of the characters were battling mental and emotional wars as well). I was left hanging after each page, itching for more and this was only compounded as I turned the final page. I have been left wondering, desperate to read Rebels Divided and find out how the story pans out.

I highly recommend this read if you are into Dystopian reads that give you more than just a physical war, but play on your emotions and toy with your thoughts.

It was love at first page! Seriously I loved everything about this book, I’m even in love with the book cover. I took this book everywhere with me so I could read it every little chance I got and couldn’t wait to continue reading when I had to put it down for any reason. Resilience had all the things I want in a book especially my top 2 requirements of a great book which are great characters and plenty of action/adventure. The story reminds of The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner (the movies because I have never read the books).

Resilience is the first book in a series and that makes me happy because I’m not ready to leave Regina Shen’s world yet, even though it’s a world without men and that would be sad :(. I can’t wait to read them all and find out what Regina and her friends get into next! I would recommend this book to EVERYONE! I give it 5 stars.

My Thoughts: What, another short review? Oh, no. No, seriously guys, I’m telling you that a short review is better. It means that I am very impressed and liked the book so I can’t find anything wrong with it.

First off, the beginning is incredible. In my time, I’ve come across books with really really good intros, and then I’ve hit some that are just plain eh. And it’s rather annoying to get the latter and then have to finish the book. Luckily, this is not one of those. Its beginning is sound and keeps the reader interested in the next part.

The style of writing is so good. I’m really jealous and I might take notes because wow, I think the style is excellent. Lance knows how to write.

I like how the characters are developed right away and it doesn’t take two, three chapters to know who our main character is. I got a feel for Annabelle right away, from page one.

Look at the synopsis if you haven’t already, then come back to this paragraph. Isn’t that such a great idea? I love it. And it progresses very nicely, shaping the story fully.